In his continuing series on the correct way to throw the Basic Punches, Master Instructor and 9th Degree Black Belt Hall of Famer Joe Corley goes through the step by step explanation of the right cross. This series covers the Jab, Cross, Hook, Uppercut, Uppercut. At Atlanta Extreme Warrior and Joe Corley Karate, these exact punches are used in the American Karate, Tae Kwon Do and Kickboxing, in the PKA & Muay Thai Kickboxing, Warrior X-Fit Kickboxing and Krav Maga Classes.

Hi, it’s Joe Corley as we continue our series here on our basic punches. We’re already covered the jab. Now we’re going to cover the cross.

In our vernacular, in martial arts or boxing, if you throw a jab, that means it’s coming off your front hand. If you throw a cross, that means it’s coming off your back hand.

Since I’m facing you with my left hand forward, this is the one with which I would throw the jab. My right cross would come from my other side.

Now if you look at my feet, when I throw a cross, my left foot’s going to stay in the same position as it was and my back foot is going to pivot at the same time I throw the punch.

So this pivot is very much like it would be as if I was in the batter’s box swinging at a pitch so that I get the mass of this whole side of my body in the punch.

So when I throw this right cross, it comes straight out. It’s attached to my body, my shoulder, my body turns like this. But, my front foot stays turned to the inside.

My left hand stays here next to my chin. Now I say stays next to my chin.

I’ll show you a side view of that. This is where my left hand started. When I punch with my right cross, my left hand is going to move about that far.

I’m just going to move it back to here so that it ends right next to my chin. It doesn’t start next to my chin. It’s actually out in front.

Here’s what my right hand is doing. It’s going out and rolling over. If it was a karate right cross, I’d be hitting with these two knuckles with my hand flat like this going straight into the bad guy’s face.

If it’s a boxing right cross, my right hand is going to pronate slightly like that so that these knuckles go flush with the jaw line into the person that I’m attacking.

But, in any case, my hand is going to be flat, straight and strong.

So once again my hands are going to be in front of my shoulders like this. As I punch, the whole right side of my body turns, boom, right into the target at this point here. I keep my head and everything up right as I fire. From the side it will look like it was a stake driven down through your head down into the forehead and when you punch you’re going to put it around that stake. You’re not going to let your body go forward this way.

So, if I’d thrown a jab out, it would look like this. If I throw a cross behind it, it would look like that. That would be a jab-cross.

So, practice that. Getting your body as much as possible into the strike, which will be part of the mass that you’ll be using so you’ll get excellent power with your right cross.